For Steinbrenner, Waiting May End Today; Suspension Called Likely

By MURRAY CHASS

Published: July 30, 1990

The ramifications of two December events six years apart will converge today when Commissioner Fay Vincent, barring a last-minute snag, announces his decision in the George Steinbrenner case.

Vincent remained ''mute,'' as he put it, yesterday on the timing of his decision, but others indicated that he planned to issue a ruling today unless he was delayed by an unforeseen development.

The commissioner declined to discuss any aspect of what that ruling would be, but the prevailing feeling among people on Steinbrenner's side and some other baseball people is that the Yankees' principal owner will be suspended. A heavy fine also is a strong possibility.

To enforce the suspension, a major league baseball source has said, Vincent will name someone from outside the Yankees' organization to oversee or monitor the operation of the club.

Steinbrenner, who was suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn on Nov. 27, 1974, has reached this juncture of his stormy 18-year ownership of the Yankees because of two December events: the signing of Dave Winfield in 1980 and the initiation of an association with Howard Spira in 1986.

Spira got in touch with Steinbrenner offering damaging information against Winfield, who had spurned the Bronx man's effort to renew their relationship. Steinbrenner, according to Spira's tapes of their telephone conversations, readily encouraged the contacts and the information.

The association led to a $40,000 payment Steinbrenner made to Spira in January. Spira says he was paid for the damaging information he provided Steinbrenner, who Spira said wanted to discredit Winfield. The owner has given a series of different reasons for making the payment. Most recently, at a hearing before Vincent on July 5 and 6, he said he had paid Spira because Spira had threatened him and his family and they were ''scared stiff.''

Spira is under Federal indictment on charges that he tried to extort money from Steinbrenner and threatened to harm Steinbrenner and Winfield. Spira has pleaded not guilty; a trial is not expected to begin until late this year.

Some criminal lawyers have speculated that Steinbrenner's differing versions of the reason for the $40,000 payment and some other comments he has made and testimony he has given could undermine the Government's prosecution of Spira.

Vincent's hearing ended an investigation that John Dowd, a Washington lawyer who also conducted baseball's investigation of Pete Rose last year, began in March.

If Vincent finds that Steinbrenner's conduct in his relationship with Spira and his treatment of Winfield was not in the best interests of baseball, a subject covered by Rule 21 of the Major League Rules, he could levy any penalty including expulsion from the game. However, he is not expected to give Steinbrenner such a severe penalty.

Suspension in 1974

In 1974, Kuhn suspended Steinbrenner for two years after he pleaded guilty to violating campaign financing laws in making contributions to President Nixon's re-election campaign. Upon application from Steinbrenner for early reinstatement, Kuhn ended the suspension after 15 months, on March 1, 1976.

Steinbrenner, who had been an owner for only two years when he was suspended, accepted the penalty without a fight. This time, however, he and his sizable legal team have indicated they will challenge a suspension in court.

They have been discussing and preparing a possible lawsuit for weeks and would very likely move swiftly to file it once the commissioner makes his decision known. They have said a main thrust of a lawsuit would be against what they contend is the biased manner in which Dowd conducted the investigation.

The lawyers also feel they have been treated unfairly by Vincent in his rejection of their efforts to have several witnesses, particularly Peter Ueberroth, a former commissioner, testify before the present commissioner.

Stephen Kaufman has been Steinbrenner's lead lawyer in the hearing stage of the case, but if it winds up in court, Paul Curran, a former United States Attorney in New York, would be the lead counsel.